Manners in Korea…

I would like to describe briefly about common courtesy in Korea. There are some distinctive differences from western culture. Especially there are heaps of good manners to be observed during a meal. Firstly, it is considered polite to turn your torso slightly (approximately 20 degrees) when you drink alcohol with people who are older than you. Secondly when you eat a meal with older people, you should not start or finish earlier before them. Furthermore people do not talk too much in the middle of a meal. In that case they tend to think luck goes out.

Blowing your nose or burping in public are considered rude behaviors which can be a real problem in a restaurant after you have just finished a meal. One way to solve your problem is to use a restroom or another private space.

When greeting somebody important, or saying goodbye or thanks, it is polite to bow, how far down you bow depends on the status of the person. - You need not bend your knee and touch the ground with your hands . - Just a slight nod of the head. That is it.